'As a sati savitri, she will be an opponent of sex before marriage'

A glimpse of the ebullient characters they play in their forthcoming film is made visible when Richa Chadha and Kalki Koechlin cheer with joy when we enter a room to conduct this interview But the enthusiasm has nothing to do with us more with the generous packets of food that follow us A harmless argument over a fish and a chicken dish ensues mdash Chadha were told doesnt eat chicken mdash as the actors finally decide to dig into an associates ghar ka dabba instead Chadha graciously thanks its owner as Koechlin brushes away crumbles on the table Cleanliness is an obsession she reasons sheepishly stealing a glance at her coactorKalki KoechlinThat the duo shares an affable relationship is evident essential even given that theyre set to bring forth as Koechlin says Bollywoods first female road trip film At first glance the vivid Jia Aur Jia that sees the duo escape to Sydney seems like a trip one would love to take with close pals but Chadha warns that all is not happy If you see my character youll notice theres a pain that bothers her and that was the challenge to pull off she says while tackling questions on how her role is far distanced from the garrulous ones shes been famed for For Chadha an image isnt one that an actor consciously crafts It is a label that the audience puts on himher as per their choices She narrates the chronology of her releases to further her point I got an offer for RamLeela 2013 before Gangs of Wasseypur 2012 and the characters I play in the two films are at odds But because Gangs released first I as an actor was attached to that character because the audience enjoyed itRicha ChadhaThe fervent desire to templatise elements says Chadha isnt a tendency of the audience alone Our industry also stereotypes women If she must be shown as a satisavitri theyll show as a staunch opponent of indulging in sex before marriage If they have to show her as a liberal woman theyll place a cigarette in one of her hands and a glass of alcohol in another Why Do we have to be either one of the two extremes Is there no middleground We can be neither of the two or both The discussion invariably moves towards the onus on writers to define such characters Chronicling her love for the nitty gritties kept in mind while chalking out Ranbir Kapoors role in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil she says nuance is the key to creating authentic charactersA believable character Koechlin jumps in is an essential for her too If you dont believe the character you cant play it And if you feel things are disconnected you must address your concern with the director You may feel that connect instantly or after a while For instance I took long to give a nod to Ribbon drama that pairs her with Sumeet Vyas But when Margarita With A Straw came my way I instantly loved itYet they are unwilling to part with their craft easily Should they find scope in the roles coming their way the duo will not shy away from incorporating those details themselves I learnt this on my first film says Chadha alluding to the 2008 comedy Oye Lucky Lucky Oye I was given a character who was brash She danced at weddings So when I read the script to find a few dialogues in English I asked the makers why a girl like her would be wellversed in the language We eventually amended the character to be someone who spoke broken English like lower middleclass women would There was the line Dont you find me hot which we tweaked to Kya main thuje hot nahi lagti And eventually I arrived at that peculiar pronunciation of hot that was used in the film It became iconic An inference to Jia Aur Jia is also drawn when Koechlin adds to Chadhas arguments I wear a cast in a few scenes While it never occurred to us initially we realised that a person with an injured arm will eat differently or will need help pulling on a jacket So we improvised thereChadha however is quick to point out that the folly isnt on the part of writers alone Bringing to light a working atmosphere that she says is less favourable for them the actor highlights how writers may be roped in for a project that may be deferred by years but are kept from working on other films in the meanwhile How is he supposed to pay his bill then Mumbai is so expensive that when unemployed people struggle to manage essentials like water light and food forget affording amenities Had I not come from an upper middleclass family I wouldnt survive in Mumbai So should we ignore an entire group of people in this case the writers who may have talent but cant afford the city because of our irrational working terms Producers should pay them a retainership until the film kicks offA discussion with two female actors set to release a womenoriented film is certain to draw attention to the plight of women in the industry Koechlin highlights that while gender equality is a topic thats being discussed it will take a while for society to come to terms with women in the workforce The workforce is dominated by people who have grown up in an environment thats different from how it is today Theyve seen their mothers stay at home as their fathers went to office to earn So while they understand the importance of equality thats not what theyve seen while being raised It will take an entire generation to undo that